Skull Bone Anatomy – Anterior View

Author: Scott A. Sheffield MS

Last update:

Cranial bones and Facial bones:

Let’s start with taking a look at the cranial and facial bones from an anterior view before we dive into their markings. 

Cranial bones:

  1. image descriptionFrontal bone (os frontale).
  2. image descriptionSphenoid bone (os sphenoidale).
  3. image descriptionEthmoid bone (os ethmoidale).
Skull - anterior view.
Skull bones - anterior view - frontal bone - divisions
Skull bones - anterior view - sphenoid bone - divisions
Skull bones - anterior view - ethmoid bone - divisions
Cranial bones of the skull - anterior view
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Facial Bones:

  1. image descriptionZygomatic bone (os zygomaticum).
  2. image descriptionNasal bone (os nasale).
  3. image descriptionLacrimal bone (os lacrimale).
  4. image descriptionInferior turbinate or nasal concha (concha nasalis inferior).
  5. image descriptionVomer bone (os vomer).
  6. image descriptionMaxilla bone (os maxilla).
  7. image descriptionMandible bone (os mandibula).

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Skull - anterior view.
Skull bones - anterior view - zygomatic bone - divisions
Skull bones - anterior view - nasal bone - divisions
Skull bones - anterior view - lacrimal bone - divisions
Skull bones - anterior view - inferior turbinate - divisions
Skull bones - anterior view - vomer bone - divisions
Skull bones - anterior view - maxilla bone - divisions
Skull bones - anterior view - mandible - divisions
Facial bones of the skull - anterior view
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Frontal Bone:

  1. image descriptionSuperciliary arch or supraorbital ridge of frontal bone (arcus superciliaris frontalis).
  2. image descriptionGlabella (glabella frontalis).
  3. image descriptionZygomatic process (processus zygomaticus frontalis)
skull - anterior view
skull - anterior view - body of maxilla - superciliary arch
skull - anterior view - glabella
skull - anterior view - zygomatic process
Markings of the frontal bone - anterior view
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Zygomatic Bone:

  1. image descriptionFrontal (frontospenoidal) process of zygomatic bone (processus frontalis zygomatici)

 

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skull - anterior view
skull - anterior view - frontal process maxilla
Markings of the zygomatic bone - anterior view
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Maxilla Bone:

  1. image descriptionBody of maxilla (corpus maxillae)
  2. image descriptionInfraorbital foramen (foramen infraorbitale maxillae)
  3. image descriptionFrontal process (processus frontalis maxillae)
  4. image descriptionZygomatic process (processus zygomaticus maxillae)
  5. image descriptionAlveolar process (processus alveolaris maxillae).
skull - anterior view
skull - anterior view - body of maxilla
skull - anterior view - infraorbital foramen
skull - anterior view - frontal process maxilla
skull - anterior view - zygomatic process maxilla
skull - anterior view - alveolar process
Markings of the maxilla - anterior view
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Ethmoid Bone:

  1. image descriptionMiddle nasal concha or turbinate bone (concha nasi media ethmoidalis)
  2. image descriptionPerpendicular plate of ethmoid bone (lamina perpendicularis ethmoidalis).
skull - anterior view
skull - anterior view - middle nasal concha
skull - anterior view - perpendicular plate
Markings of the ethmoid bone - anterior view
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Mandible Bone:

  1. image descriptionBody of mandible (corpus mandibulae).
  2. image descriptionAlveolar process (pars alveolaris mandibulae)
  3. image descriptionRamus (ramus mandibulae)
  4. image descriptionMental foramen (foramen mentale mandibulae).
  5. image descriptionMental protuberance (protuberantia mentalis mandibulae).
  6. image descriptionMental foramen (tuberculum mentale mandibulae)
skull - anterior view
skull - anterior view - body of mandible
skull - anterior view - alveolar part
skull - anterior view - ramus
skull - anterior view - mental foramen
skull - anterior view - mental protuberance
skull - anterior view - mental tubercle
Markings of the mandibula bone - anterior view
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Test yourself:

Cranial and facial bones – anterior view [image descriptionShow /image descriptionHide answers]

Markings – anterior view [image descriptionShow/image descriptionHide answers]

skull bones - anterior view - test yourself
The cranial and facial bones of the skull - anterior view - test yourself
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anterior skull bone markings - test yourself
anterior skull bone markings - test yourself - answers
The bone markings of the skull - anterior view - test yourself
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